Gusto vs Roll by ADP
We give Gusto a 2.4 GPA and Roll by ADP a 2.8, out of 4.0. Gusto grades higher on features. Roll by ADP grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Gusto
Payroll and HR for small businesses, with apps for owners and staff
Roll by ADP
Chat-based payroll app for very small US businesses
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGustoFair | 2.8GPARoll by ADPGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CSimple is $49 a month plus $6 a person, so $79 for a team of five. That sits between the cheapest quarter of this category ($65 or less for five) and the middle ($85). Pay people in more than one state and you need Plus at $80 plus $12 a person, which is $140. | BOne plan at $39 a month plus $5 a worker, $64 for five, inside the cheapest quarter of this category. Time tracking, the AI assistant and QuickBooks Online sync are all in that price; only same-day deposit costs extra. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free on record: no free plan and no trial in the listing. You pay from the first month. | C3 months free for new US clients, counted from when company setup is done. That's the longest trial in this category, but it's a trial, not a free plan. |
| Features | BRegular and off-cycle payroll, taxes worked out by work location, time tracking, onboarding, document signing and expense claims, with contractors abroad as an add-on. That's the whole payroll job, spread across its three plans. | CPayroll by typing requests in a chat, W-2 and 1099 workers, taxes paid, timekeeping and AI error checks. It does payroll fully, but it's a smaller job: the pricing page lists no HR, benefits administration or higher tiers. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 from about 52,000 App Store ratings for Gusto Mobile, where owners approve hours and run payroll and staff see their pay and sign documents. | A4.7 from about 2,900 App Store ratings. You type what you want done, and workers on fixed hours or pay can be paid automatically. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, and you can link your own systems through a command-line tool or an MCP server. No desktop app, and the full API is only for approved partners. | BiPhone, Android and web, plus QuickBooks Online. It's built for phones, though: the desktop view opens by scanning a code from the app. No desktop app. |
| Best for | small US teams that want payroll and HR in one app | owners who want to run payroll from a phone chat |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Gusto and Roll by ADP. How we grade
Price against what you get
Gusto starts at $49 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Roll by ADP starts at $39 a month and scores 3.0.
Gusto scores higher, and starts $10 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other payroll services on the chart, none scores higher than Gusto for less, and 1 scores higher than Roll by ADP for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Gusto starts at $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple). Roll by ADP starts at $39 per month, plus $5 per worker paid.
- Gusto also covers expense tracking.
At a glance
| Gusto | Roll by ADP | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple) | $39 per month, plus $5 per worker paid |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 3 months free for new US clients, starting once company setup is complete |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gusto, Inc. | ADP, Inc. |
| Price read from | gusto.com | rollbyadp.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Gusto
- Small US businesses paying W-2 employees and contractors
- Owners who want to approve hours and run payroll from a phone
- Teams that want staff to handle their own pay details and documents
Roll by ADP
- Owners with a few employees who want to run payroll from a phone
- Businesses paying both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors
- Teams spread across several US states
Worth knowing
Gusto
- Gusto runs US payroll only: W-2 employees, state and local taxes and US contractors. Paying contractors abroad is a separate add-on covering 120+ countries.
- Many extras cost more on Simple: next-day pay is $15 a month plus $3 a person, same-day pay $90 a payroll and instant pay $100 a payroll.
- Priority phone and chat support is a $30-a-month add-on, plus $3 a person, on Simple and Plus.
- Gusto's API is open only to approved integration and embedded-payroll partners, not to customers building their own links.
Roll by ADP
- Runs payroll in the US only, though workers may live and work in different states.
- Built for phones: the desktop view is opened by scanning a code from the mobile app.
- Same-day direct deposit costs a per-transaction fee on top of the monthly price.
- One plan only: the pricing page lists no HR, benefits administration or higher tiers.
Key features
Gusto
- Regular and off-cycle payroll
- Runs payroll on a set schedule, including hours, paid time off and bonuses, plus one-off payrolls for corrections or special bonuses.
- Tax withholding and deductions
- Works out federal, state and local taxes by work location, takes pre-tax and post-tax deductions, and pays by direct deposit or check.
- Time and time off
- Employees and contractors clock in and out and request time off in the app; admins review and approve hours before payroll.
- Onboarding and documents
- Add and onboard new team members from the app, and have employees read and sign documents there.
- Expense reimbursements
- Employees photograph receipts and submit expenses, and admins approve them in the app. The App Store listing limits this to Gusto Plus and Premium.
- Gusto CLI and MCP server
- Customers connect their own systems to their Gusto account through a command-line tool or an MCP server; the full API is for approved partners.
Roll by ADP
- Payroll by chat
- Owners run payroll, hire workers and change pay by typing requests in a chat, with off-cycle payments for bonuses and final pay.
- Taxes calculated and paid
- Roll calculates, deducts and pays payroll taxes, files 1099-NEC forms, and delivers W-2s and 1099s to workers in the app each January.
- Next-day and same-day deposit
- Direct deposits arrive about 24 hours after payroll is submitted, and same-day deposit is available for a per-transaction fee.
- AI assistant and error checks
- A generative AI assistant answers payroll and HR questions and suggests savings, and AI-driven checks look for errors before payroll runs.
- Automatic payroll and time tracking
- Workers with fixed hours or pay can be paid automatically, and timekeeping is included for W-2 and 1099 workers.
- Employee app
- Employees are invited to their own version of the app to see pay summaries, download paystubs and tax forms, and update bank details.
Plans
Gusto
Simple$49
per month, plus $6 per person paid
Payroll in one state: unlimited pay runs, tax filings and payments, and basic time-off and holiday pay rules.
Plus$80
per month, plus $12 per person paid
Adds multi-state payroll, time tracking and scheduling, unlimited next-day pay and contractor invoice handling. Marked best value.
Premium$180
per month, plus $22 per person paid
Adds a named advisor and premium support, HR guidance, Gusto Business Compliance, and unlimited same-day and instant pay.
Roll by ADP
Roll$39
per month, plus $5 per worker paid
Unlimited payroll for W-2 employees and 1099 contractors, tax filing and payment, time tracking, the AI assistant and QuickBooks Online sync.
